Page 127 of Falling Into Gravity

They looked like they’d just stepped off the plane. Unannounced and at the worst time.

French sat on the arm of the couch, knee bouncing to show he was already on one. He was dressed down in a sweatsuit, gold watch shining from his wrist, and his diamond earrings catching the light. Solar was standing with her arms crossed, staring Aku down with a mix of worry and heat.

They had let themselves in. Aku cursed herself for having a keyless, digital lock.

“Aku,” Solar’s voice was already cutting sharp. “What the hell happened to your face?”

Her bottom lip trembled from the busted skin.

French stood, rushing to her, right behind Solar. “The fuck, baby girl?” His brown eyes examined her like he was looking formore than just some scars. He was looking for answers that her eyes always told him. They’d always been locked in like that.

“I’m fine.” Aku tried to pass through the room like they weren’t standing there, but French caught her arm.

“You ain’t fine,” he said, eyes narrowing. “That lip swole…who the fuck hit you? That nigga putting his hands on you?”

“No!” Aku pulled away. “It don’t matter.”

“Like hell it don’t.” French was pacing now. “You come back from wherever with a busted lip and bruised energy. Somebody touched you?”

“Daddy,” she whispered, hands shaking now. “Just chill.”

Solar’s voice followed. “She ain’t said nothin’ yet, French. Let her speak?—”

“Nah, fuck that,” French waved them off, voice rising. “She my baby. Somebody put hands on her, I need to know who and where.”

Aku opened her mouth, but before anything could come out, the door beeped then opened.

Malik stood at the door shocked for a few seconds before his long legs carried him in.

He stepped in slow, still in that stupid collar shirt. His eyes sat low, and his shoulders sagged like they were heavy from a flight he didn’t even unpack his emotions from yet. But the minute he looked up, he froze. Eyes locked on Solar.

“Shit,” he mumbled.

Her face was a mirror of Aku’s. Older, wiser, but still pretty, light brown and glowing. That unmistakable hood edge beneath southern sugar.

Then he saw French.

And it clicked.

Malik sniffled and nodded once.

French’s face didn’t move. “You ain’t gon’ speak, nigga?”

Malik shifted, licking over his teeth. “I was. But you ain’t give me time, cuh.”

Everything slowed down as if they were all in the twilight zone. Solar wanted to compliment Aku on how cute Malik was, but the tension grew too thick for her to say anything…especially when her baby had a busted lip.

French’s whole body tensed. “The fuck you just say to me?”

Solar sighed, “French.”

Aku smacked her hand over her face. “Oh Lord.”

French stormed forward, chest out. Malik squared up instinctively, dropping his bag and stepping to him with heat in his eyes. Years of survival kicked in, ready to fight even when he didn’t want to.

“I don’t give a fuck where you from,” French said, nose to nose. “You think you can disrespect me in my daughter’s house? Huh?!”

“I ain’t disrespect you,” Malik snapped back. “But you actin’ like you gon’ press a nigga for breathin’. I love your daughter, homie. I just ain’t gon’ bow for you.”

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